Manecthen Depot belongs to a group of medicines called pituitary hormones and analogues. The pituitary gland is a small gland inside the brain which controls many other glands in the body, including the thyroid and adrenal glands. The pituitary gland produces hormones which send chemical messages to various parts of the body and affect many bodily functions such as blood pressure, blood sugar levels, growth and menstrual cycle. The adrenal glands are found on top of the kidneys and make the body's natural steroids which can affect blood pressure and the way the body handles the sugars, protein and fats absorbed from food. They also make adrenaline which controls the body’s response to different types of stress. Manecthen Depot is used as a test to find out if the pituitary and adrenal glands are working normally. Manecthen Depot is intended for administration for diagnostic purposes only as a single intramuscular or intravenous dose; it is not to be used for repeated therapeutic administration. In 30-minute Manecthen Depot diagnostic test: This test is based on measurement of the plasma cortisol concentration immediately before and exactly 30 minutes after an intramuscular or intravenous injection of Manecthen Depot. Adrenocortical function can be regarded as normal if the post-injection rise in plasma cortisol concentration increases by 200 nmol/litre (70 micrograms/litre), i.e. if the value 30 minutes after injection is >500 nmol/litre (180 micrograms/litre), adrenocortical function is regarded as normal. Where the 30-minute test has yielded inconclusive results, or where it is desired to determine the functional reserve of the adrenal cortex, a 5-hour test can be performed with Manecthen Depot. Furthermore, a 3-day test with Manecthen Depot may be used to differentiate between primary and secondary adrenocortical insufficiency. For children aged 5 to 7 years, approximately half the adult dose will be adequate for testing. For more accurate dosing of other ages, standard body surface area tables should be consulted.